


Lessons

by LadyOneiroi



Category: The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Abuse, Gen, Johnny is actually a badass and the fandom seems to forget that sometimes, fighting lessons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-25
Updated: 2013-07-25
Packaged: 2017-12-21 07:31:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/897572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyOneiroi/pseuds/LadyOneiroi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's almost as if Dallas expected things to work out according to plan for once.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lessons

It is 11 o’clock at night, and Dallas Winston has decided that Johnny Cade needs a lesson in standing up to the people he cares about. It’s not for the boy’s own good, or any selfless shit like that. It’s that Dallas is sick and tired of playing therapist to the little idiot or having to pick the quiet boy off the lot after he gets his shit kicked in by his old man.

So, on that fine evening just before midnight, in the Curtis living room, Dallas waits. He does not smoke, because he does not want to make his presence known. It is a school night, and the three stooges are all sound asleep. Every now and then, Dallas thinks he hears one of them move, but whichever brother is still up doesn’t leave his room. That’s a good thing. For once, Dallas isn’t itching to pound on someone.

The door opens, and Dallas makes no move. He prays to a God he’s not sure he believes in that it’s Johnny coming in out of the rain and not Two-Bit ore one of the other guys. He really hopes it isn’t Tim Shepard. He knows the creep crashes on the couch sometimes, and Dallas is not in the mood.

"Dallas?"

The voice is quiet, almost a whisper, and he knows he has found his man. “You sleeping here, Dal?" Johnny asked. Dallas just stared at the floor, knowing the boy well enough to say he won’t start anything. On cue, Johnny mutters an apology and says he’ll just head to the lot.

"Fight me for it."

The look in Johnny’s dark eyes is one of perplexment. The kid’s trying to figure out how he heard his mentor so wrong, and Dallas sighs, looking up at the darker boy. “Fight me for it, Johnny. You gotta stop pussying out sooner or later."

"I ain’t a pussy." Johnny growls, and a smirk creeps across Dallas’ features. The kid had proven that idea quite a bit in the past, between various rumbles and confrontations. The boy was no pussy, when it came to his enemies. With friends, though, he was a grade-A weakling.

"Prove it."

All of Johnny’s resolve vanishes. “Dal, this is stupid." he mutters, looking around the dark living room. Anything but his probably drunk friend.

"I’m gonna teach you, damn it, now look at me you little shit."

Johnny couldn’t do it, and Dallas sighed. This is exactly what he was worried about. He stood up and decided to start on Plan B. He stood and grabbed the smaller boy by the face, tilting his face upward. Dallas leaned in close, his reeking breath rolling over Johnny’s face like a noxious fume. Johnny squirmed, fight or flight instincts kicking in very well. “You don’t like that, do ya, Johnnycake?" Dallas chuckled, locking eyes with the boy.

"You’re drunk." His black eyes were filling with fear now, as if he knew Dallas could kill him if so inclined. Damn, the boy had to stop doing that. He had to stand up to him eventually. It didn’t matter, though, Dallas had one trick up his sleeve, and he was wicked enough to use it. His icy blue eyes flashed with mischief before he spoke.

"Your ma’s a whore."

Johnny went oddly still, and Dallas knew he found a chink in the puppy’s armor. That was one thing they had in common, at least, though Dallas would ever admit it. Johnny still gave no reply, though, and seemed to have gone into shock.

"Your old man sucks cock."

Johnny became rigid, his hands balled into fists at his sides, and Dallas laughs, giving the boy a blast of beer-tainted breath once more. “Does that piss you off, Johnny? You can shut me up. You know how." Johnny still seemed to refuse, only glaring at the apparent betrayal of his only friend. Dallas thought of one last low blow, and smiled pleasantly at Johnny before continuing.

"So, about Pony—"

Dallas’ head whips around so fast that for a moment he doesn’t realize what’s happened. Then blood leaks from his busted lip and he realizes Johnny’s hit him across the face. He grinned and looked back at Johnny, licking the blood from his lip. Johnny looked mortified, and Dallas couldn’t him slip away.

"What, you don’t want me talking about the fuck? What about—"

Another hit pounds against Dallas’ nose, and he just laughed, pleased with his pupil. Johnny, however, took it as a further insult and tackled Dallas to the ground. Things were suddenly out of Dallas’ control. He didn’t expect this. “Johnny—"

There was a sudden blinding pain as Johnny pounded Dallas’ head against the floor, growling. Dallas realized all too late he had created a monster. He tried to shove Johnny off of him, but the little puppy had somehow become a snarling wolf defending his cub. Dallas did not do fear, it was alien to him, but something dark and angry welled up in him that the little shit didn’t stop when ordered. Dallas was just trying to help, damn it, and—

The lights came on, and Darry stood in the doorway, staring at the feuding friends in pure confusion. Finally, he moved, pulling the angered smaller boy off of Dallas. The older boy skittered away, barking out curses at Johnny the entire way. Johnny kept fighting to get at Dallas even with the two older boys demanding an explanation for his actions. The sudden noise brought Soda and Pony running, and the whole house became a cacophony of questions and curses until Johnny shot out actual English.

"You asked for it!"

Dallas realized he had. He had come there intent to have Johnny beat him up and break the stigma he held against standing up for himself when it came to ‘family’. He had not, however, asked for control to leave his hands and be given to the dumb kid across from him.

"What happened?" Pony asked, still groggy and rubbing at his eyes. Dallas just grit his teeth and stood, shoving his hands in his pockets as he skulked out of the now silent house, wishing he had a smoke.

**Author's Note:**

> It Came From Tumblr V: Son of Non-Shipping.
> 
> I don't know if this even makes sense, but sometimes, you just want to write someone punching Dallas in the face and Johnny being awesome all at the same time.
> 
> Thank you for reading, any critique is welcome!


End file.
